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Lost sunglasses? Dizm's will biodegrade

May 25, 2012 | 4:00
pm

Most SoCal lifeguards who rush into the water for a rescue end up losing their sunglasses in the water -- inadvertently adding to the Pacific Trash Vortex. But Dizm Eyewear is hoping to change that with its new eco-collection of biodegradable sunglasses.

"The concept is that if you lose your sunglasses in the water, they'll turn into fish food once they're decomposed. If you lose them in the forest, in five or 10 years, they'd turn into biomass and be completely gone," said Jonas Lee, general manager of Dizm Eyewear in Hermosa Beach.

A sunglass line designed to bridge the gap between action sports and fashion, Dizm makes about 70 styles, 18 of which have biodegradable frames. Dizm is still working on a biodegradable solution for its polycarbonate lenses, which present a challenge because of the need for optical clarity. Before the end of the year, Dizm hopes to switch all of its frames to plastics made from wood, cotton and palm oil.

"Our entire team is working to develop the best processes for recycling and repurposing glasses as well as to take good care of our playground," said Dizm founder Linda Larson, who recently sponsored a beach cleanup at the American Pro Surfing Series contest in Huntington Beach and is currently developing a collection program for its glasses to either rework and donate them to people in need or to dispose of them more ecologically than the landfill.

If composted with a backyard system, the biodegradable sunglass frames will break down over the course of several seasons, Larson said.